What the 50/50 guard is
The 50/50 guard is a leg entanglement in which your right leg and your partner’s right leg, or both left legs, are locked around each other. Each of you has a leg over the other’s hip, and the two of you hold the same shape in mirror image. It belongs to the leg entanglement guards in our guide to BJJ guards, and it is played in the gi and in no-gi.
Since neither player starts ahead, the hand fight decides who attacks first. The grappler who controls the other’s foot while keeping their own heel hidden gets the first real attempt.
Entering and holding 50/50
A common entry is from single leg X. You pass your outside leg over the leg you have trapped and lock your legs around it. You can also enter 50/50 as a last line of defense when a partner is close to passing your open guard.
To hold the position, keep your knees pinched together around the trapped leg. A partner who gets your knees apart can pull the leg out. When you go for a sweep, stay at an angle to your partner instead of square to them, which makes it harder for them to reverse you as you come up.
Grips
- Grip on the trapped legA hand on the pant leg or ankle keeps the entangled leg from being pulled out.
- Grip on the free legHolding the pants or ankle of the leg that is not trapped stops your partner from posting it or coming up to pass.
- Lapel or sleeve gripControls the upper body, mainly to help you come up on top.
Main attacks
- Coming up on topYou keep the leg trapped, sit up into your partner and come to your knees or feet.
- Back takeYou turn underneath your partner and come out behind them.
- Straight ankle lockYour forearm goes under the Achilles tendon and the foot is clamped under your armpit.
- Toe holdA figure-four grip on the foot that twists it inward.
Grips
- Foot trapped to your bodyTheir foot is held against your ribs or under your armpit, so it stays where you can attack it.
- Hand fightingPeel your partner's hands off your own foot before you commit to an attack.
Main attacks
- Inside heel hookYour forearm traps the heel, and turning it twists the knee.
- Straight ankle lock
- Coming up on top
- Back take
Distance
Leg entanglement
Rules
Under IBJJF rules, a sweep that starts and ends in 50/50 earns no advantage (since 2015), and a player holding a lapel or belt grip in 50/50 has 20 seconds to progress before a passivity penalty (since 2024).
Choosing between a sweep and a leg lock
In the gi, 50/50 is mostly a game of sweeps and position. IBJJF bans heel hooks in the gi at every belt, so in its gi divisions coming up on top and then passing is the usual aim.
In no-gi, reaching for your partner’s heel while your own heel is exposed often ends with both of you attacking at once. Against a partner who is more experienced with leg locks, playing for the sweep is the safer choice.
Heel hook rules by organization and belt
In IBJJF no-gi, inside and outside heel hooks have been legal since 2021 for adult brown and black belts only. In IBJJF adult divisions, the 50/50 position and the straight ankle lock from it are legal at every belt, white belts included, while toe holds and kneebars are reserved for brown and black belts.
The ADCC World Championship, a no-gi event, allows heel hooks. Other organizations set their own limits by belt, age or experience division, so read the rulebook for the exact division you enter.
Gyms set rules for sparring as well, and some allow heel hooks only above a certain belt. A heel hook can damage the knee before the defender feels enough pain to tap, so tap as soon as your heel is trapped and the rotation starts.
Defending and leaving 50/50
When your leg is caught, hide the heel first. Turn it away from your partner’s arms, keep the foot close to their body or under them, and fight their hands off it. Then clear your knee: pull it out from between their legs until it is past their hip line, where the heel hook is far less dangerous.
To leave the position, control your partner’s grips, pry their knees apart and pull your leg out, then pass or recover a guard. Two mistakes come up often: opening your own knees while you hunt for a grip, and staying in the entanglement with no plan to sweep, submit or get out.
What a reviewer looks for in 50/50 footage
On video, a reviewer checks who controlled the foot first, whose heel was exposed when an attack started, and whether your knees stayed pinched through the exchange. After a sweep, they also check whether the leg was still trapped when you came up. A verified black belt can mark each of these moments on your own footage in a roll review.